PACIFIC OCEAN -- AND ONE GROUP IS living RIGHT HERE ON THE CENTRAL COAST. AND TONIGHT WE'RE GETTING A FIRST LOOK AT THESE DEEP-SEA CREATURES. FOR MORE, WE GO LIVE TO ACTION NEWS REPORTER MAY CHOW IN SALINAS.### ERIN...THESE SPONGES AREN'T THE ONES YOU USE TO DO YOUR DISHES OR IN THE BATH. RATHER, THEY'RE CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS THAT LOOK LIKE HAIRY TWIGS...AND IT'S THESE TWIGS THAT ARE DEADLY FOR THEIR UNSUSPECTING PREY... DEEP-SEA KILLER SPONGES. IT MAY SOUND LIKE A HORROR MOVIE...BUT SCIENTISTS HAVE KNOWN ABOUT CARNIVOROUS SPONGES FOR 20 YEARS. SINCE THEN, ONLY SEVEN HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. BUT NOW...FOUR NEW SPECIES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED LIVING ON THE DEEP SEAFLOOR FROM BAJA TO OREGON. AND ACCORDING TO THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE: ONE SPECIES HAS MADE THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT -- AN UNDERWATER VOLCANO 80 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MONTEREY -- ITS HOME. LONNY 1:43-1:55 "asbestopluma monticola this is plentiful at davidson seamount and named for that locally, and named for that locally, monticola means mountain dweller." BUTT SOT -- show video of asbes monti LONNY 3:33-3:40: "there's dense, dense communities of this animal there, probably one of most we found." MARINE BIOLOGIST LONNY LUNDSTEN ALONG WITH TWO CANADIAN RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED THESE NEW SPECIES. THEIR FINDINGS WERE JUST PUBLISHED IN "ZOOTAXA," A SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL THAT FOCUSES ON THE DISCOVERY AND CLASSIFICATION OF NEW SPECIES. LONNY 1:00-1:12: "for me, you know, I think the real important thing about these kinds of discoveries is adding to our understanding of total species biodiversity in deep sea or ocean." THE SPONGES ARE NOT LARGE, FORMIDABLE STRUCTURES LURKING IN THE DARK, DEEP WATERS ...BUT RATHER, THEY'RE PRETTY SMALL, WITH THE LARGEST ONES STANDING AT ABOUT 15 INCHES TALL. THEY FEED ON MICROSCOPIC ANIMALS, LIKE CRUSTACEANS, THAT DRIFT PAST THEM IN THE CURRENT. AND WHAT MAKES THIS DISCOVERY SO FASCINATING -- THEIR FEEDING STRATEGY DIFFERS FROM SPONGES THAT CONSUME BACTERIA. 5:37-5:45: "so this group adapted technique where they use microscopic hooks and ensare small prey that drift past them or bump into them." MARINE BIOLOGISTS ALSO FOUND SKELETAL REMAINS IN EARLY JURASSIC SEDIMENTS.. SUGGESTING THAT THESE CARNIVOROUS SPONGES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AROUND 200 MILLIONS YEARS... ERIN?### WE'VE POSTED MBARI'S VIDEO OF THE NEWLY DISCOVERED SPONGES ON OUR WEBSITE ..YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT ON KSBW DOT COM.###

Blazes raging in forests and woodlands across California have taken the life of a firefighter and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes as crews continue to battle the flames from the air and the ground.